Utility ComEd Introduces New Electric Work Vehicles

---

Written by Daniel Graeber for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Midwest utility company Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) (Chicago, Illinois) said it was adding all-electric bucket trucks to its fleet, part of an ongoing effort to electrify half of its work vehicles.

ComEd said it was displaying one of the two new fully-electric bucket trucks at the annual Green Drives Conference & Expo just outside Chicago on Thursday.

"The addition of new, zero-emissions vehicles is part of a ComEd initiative to transition its fleet vehicles powered by internal combustion engines to the use of fully-electric, biodiesel and clean powered vehicles supporting its work across northern Illinois," the company said.

Commercial fleets are electrifying. The U.S. Postal Service has already added some 60,000 electric vehicles (EV) to its delivery fleet and plans to only purchase EVs after 2026. The purchases were supported by $3 billion from President Joe Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act.

ComEd, for its part, said it was on pace to convert 50% of its fleet to EVs by 2030. The company already has plans for a mix of around 1,000 electric, plug-in hybrids and other efficient vehicles, and is working to add 500 charging stations across its coverage area.

ComEd said the new trucks have a range of around 135 miles during standard operations and will begin operations later this month, just as the early-summer storm season begins. A strong line of storms brought tornados to states ranging from Oklahoma to Michigan early this week.

Around 6,000 consumers lost power in Illinois due to storm activity.

Should ComEd, meanwhile, meet its goals for vehicle electrification, the company believes it will be able to avoid around 29,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.

"Everyone benefits from the improved air quality created from the transition to EVs, regardless as to if you own or ride in an EV," said Vito Martino, vice president of distribution system operations at ComEd. "We're providing a variety of tools and resources to help our customers make the transition to an EV, but we're also proud to walk the walk by electrifying our own vehicle fleet."

The utility company's efforts follow concerns about affordability and infrastructure capacity from transportation and logistics company Ryder System Incorporated (NYSE:R) (Miami, Florida).

"For many of our customers, the business case for converting to EV technology just isn't there yet, given the limitations of the technology and lack of sufficient charging infrastructure," Robert Sanchez, the company's chairman and chief executive officer, said.

Reporting on the study, The Wall Street Journal found that electric trucks can be about three times as costly as their diesel counterparts. Incentives, such as those outlined in the Inflation Reduction Act, aren't enough to make up for the difference.

Advances may be necessary for a more widespread rollout given charging times and the additional weight coming from battery packs.

"Quite frankly, demand has not been as strong as what we would like," the Journal quoted Rakesh Aneja, head of eMobility at Daimler Truck North America, as saying.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).